


And then we all turned to dirt and dust

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Life or Death Situation, M/M, Negotiations, Spoilers, Spoilers through 2x09, but - Freeform, like seriously, oh god please don't hate me for this, um yeah, yeah I don't even know what this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-29
Updated: 2012-07-29
Packaged: 2017-11-11 00:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/472428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles never thought he would care, this much. He never thought he would care as much as to stand between Derek and two hunters, hunters that aren't like the Argents at all--but really, he's not surprised. He knew this was coming, from the moment he saw Derek Hale in the woods after Scott got bitten, because Stiles has this horrible problem where he protects everyone he can, and Derek--Derek's been in that widely casted net since the moment they met.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And then we all turned to dirt and dust

**Author's Note:**

> I really should probably update my WIPs or finish one of the fics I'm working on, but I've been meaning to write something off of this forever and I finally sucked it up and did it. This is one of those "please help me get over writers block" type of fics so I'm not even sure if this makes sense :3
> 
> Unbeta'd!
> 
> Note: The spoilers are more in the notes than the actual fic, but there is some ambiguous references to some of the facts that were revealed in 2x09 throughout the fic!

Stiles never thought he would care, this much.

He never thought he would care as much as to stand between Derek and two hunters, hunters that aren't like the Argents at all--but really, he's not surprised. He knew this was coming, from the moment he saw Derek Hale in the woods after Scott got bitten, because Stiles has this horrible problem where he protects everyone he can, and Derek--Derek's been in that widely casted net since the moment they met.

He doesn't even realize how much he cares--about Derek's safety, about the pack, about making sure everyone around him is safe, whether he knows them or not (and yeah, maybe Stiles is some sort of a martyr, a martyr who's reckless and stupid, but he doesn't think anyone will hold it against him, not when he's busy _saving their asses_ )--until he hears Derek growl, low and utterly pissed.

"Stiles," he breathes, hot and heavy, and Stiles can _feel_ it, even if Derek's twenty feet away. "Get out of the way."

Stiles looks up, and sees the two men from before--the two men that walked up to the Hale house three days ago with fake FBI badges and lackluster, tired smiles (well, one of them smiled, the other just stood there and stared at them like he was trying to figure them out, and maybe Stiles should've looked into that more, because there was recognition there, like he could tell _what_ they were; what Derek was)to question them about the recent murders; or more specifically, _Jackson's_ recent murders. Derek had deemed them weird, but ultimately okay. Stiles doesn't know why he didn't sense their lies, but it bothered him now.

Everyone knows you can't lie to a werewolf--

Until you apparently can.

"He didn't even kill anyone!" Stiles feels the protest burst out of his throat, heavy and true, because he can never do what's asked of him, especially when it's _Derek_ who has asked him. Because Derek is actually sort of trigger-happy when you finally get underneath the layers of anger and frustration and pure, unadulterated _anguish_. He's trigger-happy and just as young as the rest of the pack and the others might not realize it, but Stiles does, Stiles so _does._ And because he does, Stiles feels responsible, responsible to rise to Derek's bait and threats and give him the same amount of emotion in return.

He realized a long time ago that Derek was just as helpless and clueless as the rest of them, and he's also known for a while that he needed their protection just as much as they needed his.

"Well--" Stiles backtracks, because that's not exactly the truth. The creepy guy in the trenchcoat is staring at him with an expression that suggests he knows Stiles is lying, so he quickly scrambles to correct himself. The guy is downright _terrifying_ , more terrifying than Derek used to be, and Stiles--never thought he would say that, really. "Okay. That's not the entire truth. Maybe he killed his uncle--"

 _"Stiles_." Derek growls, reaching out a hand to grasp Stiles' forearm.

" _Let him go_ ," says one of the guys, there are lines around his eyes that make him look older than he probably is, and he's reminded so much of Derek in that moment that Stiles _aches_ with it. He wishes he could make them see reason, make them see how alike all of them really are. They're all fighting for something, even if some of them are fighting for the wrong things. He idly notes that his scowl is potent enough to rival Derek's, anyway; it's impossible to ignore now that it's right there in front of him.

_Interesting._

Derek doesn't obey, of course he doesn't obey, because Derek is the Alpha and he has some morphed view that he doesn't have to listen, and while normally Stiles admires (see here: totally and completely _despises_ ) Derek's more than obstinate personality, yeah, it's really not appreciated here. If anything his grip tightens, like a vice around Stiles' arm and Stiles tries not to wince because he's pretty sure the gun isn't for show, that he actually wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet into Derek's fur-- _hah_.

"He killed his uncle who was _psychotic_ from loss and who was killing people! The people _responsible_ , even, so, like, it's not like he was a detrimental threat to society!" Okay, he actually really, really was, but it's not like Stiles is going to tell them that, and plus, isn't a lie the truth if you actually believe in it? Yeah, Stiles is going to go with that. "Now, in reality, does that really sound so bad? He killed someone for the greater good!" Stiles says, and when no one looks at him in an alarming epiphany, he sighs, and adds, "Look, hunter dudes, I'm sure you think you have reason to be here, but I'm standing here to tell you that you don't."

"Look, kid," the same guy says, almost sounding like he's _mocking_ him--wow, nice going, man--but he does actually look sort of apologetic, like seeing Derek die would cause him extreme pain, too. Right. "I know he may seem fine and cuddly now, but he's a monster--"

And as if Derek's out to _affirm_ his suspicions, Derek growls again, more wolf than man, eyes bleeding red, and Stiles wraps his slender fingers around Derek's wrist, trying to calm him down.

He's pretty sure a sudden wolf-out wouldn't be appreciated.

Actually, it'd probably cost Derek his life.

And--

That's what they're trying to _avoid_.

"Dean," the creepy guy says, and he almost looks like he wants to grasp the _Dean's_ shoulder, to reel him in, but he doesn't, just lets his arms fall awkwardly to his side.

Stiles didn't even notice how Dean had already raised and cocked his gun, aiming it right for Derek's chest.

"He won't be able to help himself," Dean says, and yeah, he definitely looks more than a little sorry now, like he can even _begin_ to know how much Stiles has (begrudgingly, might he add) begun to care about Derek in recent months. That somewhere between the car stakeouts and finding out about Matt-- _dealing_ with the whole Matt Fiasco, a fiasco that the pack refuses to mention in any variety, like not mentiong it will make it suddenly disappear--and the Sunday morning pack meetings that Stiles had started to attend at random, Derek had gone from an 'infuriating and inevitable' ally to someone Stiles might even call a friend.

There's also a whole ball of Serious and Gay Derek Hale Feelings that Stiles is absolutely ignoring, because he's sure bringing up his harsh and utterly homosexual hard-on for Derek Hale, Alpha-Wolf Extraordinaire wouldn't be seen in a good light right now. Anyway, even if they both do make it out alive--that's looking incredibly unlikely now, though, as much as it pains Stiles to admit it--he doesn't think he would bring it up--

No.

He definitely wouldn't bring it up.

Derek is possibly the only person more emotionally stunted than Stiles himself, and just thinking about the constipated relationship that would transpire gives Stiles a headache.

And now, he's pretty sure that Derek is going to get shot--maybe even die; these guys are serious business and he doesn't think these guys could be placated with something as easy as a peace treaty--not that the Argents are exactly holding up their end right now, but they're _rational_ , they can see _reason_.

To an extent.

Sometimes.

Okay, so the Argents only see reason when things go their way, only can hold up the peace when everything is up to their standards, but they're willing to give Derek--to give _werewolves_ a chance, and that--

That isn't something Stiles can ever hold against them.

Even after Kate.

 _Especially_ after Kate.

"He won't be able to help himself," Dean repeats, almost like he's trying to convince himself just as much as he's trying to convince Stiles, "and I'm not going to wait around for him to slip up and hurt someone innocent."

"Then you can march your--painfully mistaken, might I add--asses out of town so you _won't have to_." Stiles spits, because no, no he's not letting some ridiculous, by-the-book hunters _kill_ Derek.

Stiles is pretty sure he hears a chuckle, and he's also pretty sure it didn't come from him or Derek.

"I like you, kid," Dean says, before chancing a glance at the creepy guy in the trenchcoat. He seems to find whatever he's looking for because he turns his attnetion back to Stiles, his green eyes as razor sharp as his grip on the rifle in his hands. His rifle that's probably filled with silver bullets--or maybe wolfsbane, which would suck, like actually really suck. Derek has a fighting chance with silver (more so, actually, because apparently they don't do anything) but with the right type of wolfsbane. . .Derek's wolf chow. _Hah_.

"But I'm really going to have to tell you to move. Trust me, you don't want to get caught up in this."

Stiles tightens his grip on Derek's wrist when he feels Derek start to pull away, probably to tell him to leave like the _saint_ he thinks he is sometimes. And, well, Stiles--

Stiles isn't fucking having it.

He's _not_ abandoning Derek. Especially not now.

"Too late," he remarks, dryly. "I'm already caught up in it and I'm not going anywhere, okay? So you can either kill both of us or neither of us. And being as how my dad is the Sheriff and literally would not think twice about hunting you down to stick a bullet through your _brain_ , Phineas Gage style, I definitely suggest you let us go. Yeah, that'd be the best course of action here, dude."

" _Stiles_ ," Derek whispers, and he sounds _pained_. Stiles shakes his head.

"No! Sourwolf, no--you're not talking me out of this, okay? They're not going to _kill_ you Derek, Jesus. I'm not leaving you here so you can _die_."

"It's okay." Derek urges.

Stiles wants to _slap_ him.

Stiles slaps him.

Derek glares.

"Are you done being a martyr now and will you let me _save your ass_?"

Derek actually laughs, though it's humorless and falls to deaf ears. Stiles' heart clenches at that, because when he'd pictured hearing Derek laugh--actually _laugh_ , it'd been at Stiles' expense, _not_ because of something Stiles said while both of their lives were at risk. "Stiles," he murmurs, his voice going tender, the softest he's ever heard it. "You need to go. Find Scott. Go be with your friends."

Which was basically Derek-nese for "go find the pack and assure them that they'll be okay with out me, let them know what happened" because Derek (or Stiles) sure as hell weren't going to let these hunters in on the fact that there were _more_.

They were only sixteen-year-old kids, and these guys--

Didn't seem like the type to overlook that.

Stiles wants to scream at him, wants to pound on his chest and tell him he's being stupid and heroic when he _doesn't fucking have to be_ , he wants to tell Derek "I'm not leaving" again, because Stiles isn't, he's not leaving even if it costs him his life. But all he does is tighten his grip again and say, "Scott can handle himself."

Derek gives up the gun, obviously seeing that Stiles wasn't going anywhere and turned back to the hunters. The hunters who were watching them with something between curiosity and disgust--well, Dean was watching them with something between curiosity and disgust, the other was just simply staring at them, which still wasn't any less creepy than it intitally was.

"Hi, dude, can you please stop staring at me? Kind of borderline creepy. Especially because I'm only seventeen and this is reeking of 'bad touch' and like, yeah, already went through that once--"

At that Derek _growls_ , gripping at Stiles' forearm again before dropping it at the raised eyebrow that Dean throws their way.

"Deflection isn't going to get you anywhere, kid," Dean says.

Stiles raises an eyebrow, because yes, yes actually _it is_ , because they've been standing here for at least twenty minutes now, and Derek is still alive, and Stiles is still alive, so delfection has gotten them _everywhere_. Stiles doesn't say this of course, because Dean seems like the type that would shoot Derek just because Stiles challenged him--and yeah, did Stiles mention how alike Dean and Derek are?

Because they are so, so alike.

Stiles, for once, is quiet. He doesn't want to ruin this with his words, he doesn't want to be the cause for Derek's death, because his brain-to-mouth filter made some hunter shoot his _Alpha_ , their _pack's_ Alpha. He didn't want to be that person; never wanted to be that person. He just stands there, gaze switching between the hunters and Derek, not willing to leave Derek out of his sight for too long.

"Negotiation won't work, either."

"Dean." The creepy guy says, again, and his voice is harsh and his gaze is (somehow) even harsher, cutting through Dean like _butter_.

"Not now, Cas," Dean replies, obviously agitated and turns his gaze back to Derek and Stiles.

"Your name is Cas?" Stiles scoffs, unable to keep his mouth shut.

The guy doesn't bother to answer him, just steps closer to Dean, and says, in a very my-word-is-law tone of voice, "Let them go, Dean."

"Cas--"

And while Dean is distracted by Cas, there's a look in the guy's eyes that says to _run_ , and Stiles can't even get in a breath before Derek is picking him up, tossing him over his shoulder like he weighs nothing and _runs_ with him.

In the distance, Stiles can hear a gunshot go off, high and shrill, cutting through the stale air of the hospital. He has no idea if the shot hits, because Derek's steps don't falter once.

Stiles swears he hears a curse, and a "thanks a lot, Cas" before Derek's aready to the woods and they're too far away to hear anything.

Finally, Stiles lets himself relax.

**Author's Note:**

> LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE ALERT:
> 
> I was seriously debating whether or not Dean would let Derek go because he has the mentality that monsters are monsters and they'll never be anything else. I wanted to make this as realistic as possible--even if that did mean character death--but ultimately I decided that I don't think Castiel would be able to stand there and watch an innocent person die, whether or not they were a monster, especially because of the humanity he saw in Derek when dealing with Stiles (and vice versa), and because Stiles was so very willing to sacrifice himself for a """"monster."""
> 
> Last note (I promise!): Title taken from Brand New's song "At the Bottom."  
> I'm having this fall somewhere in the season five timeline for Supernatural, where Cas is a little more in touch with the human side of things, and as for Teen Wolf, this is compliant with the series except for the fact that Mama Argent never got bit, and therefore never died.
> 
> This didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but I'm thinking I might write something more in this verse but I'm not exactly sure when that will materialize so for now this is just a stand alone piece!


End file.
